On 22nd of February, Christophe Prémont had an unforgettable evening at the award ceremony of the Belgian Paralympic team in Brussels. The trainer of Intermarché-Wanty and Wanty-ReUz-Technord has been elected “Coach of the Year”.
In addition to his full-time job with the Walloon team of Jean-François Bourlart, Christophe has a similar position within the Belgian Paralympic team. The award is a great recognition after the hard work and numerous medals won by athletes in various Paralympic disciplines at the European and World Championships.
“Besides the follow-up of the riders of Wanty-ReUz-Technord and several pros such as Laurenz Rex, Hugo Page or Alexy Faure Prost, I am the trainer of two Paralympic athletes of the Ligue de Handisport Francophone. I also accompany Maxime Hordies and Jean-François Deberg in certain major competitions”, says Christophe Prémont.
“We are three coaches within Team Belgium, assuring the daily follow-up of the athletes. Another colleague of mine, Nicolas Benoit, also received the award. We all work closely together to make the national team perform at its best.
I am delighted with this award, it is a wonderful recognition for the efforts made with the Paralympic Federation. It is also a sign of confidence for the years we spent together and for the know-how I have gained over the past 15 years. The experience is a result of my career as a professional cyclist, my university degree in Sports Science and the years of coaching professional and amateur cyclists.”
From now on, several events in Paris are central to the daily work of Christophe Prémont. In less than one month, the apotheosis of the cobble classics takes place in Compiègne on the occasion of Paris-Roubaix, and in less than 200 days the Summer Olympics will begin in the French capital.
“For the Hell of the North, we have different cards to play, especially Laurenz Rex. He achieved a wonderful victory in Le Samyn and is dedicated to the collective goals. We’ve known each other for a long time, Laurenz and I, we’ve made steps together in recent years. We are currently working towards Paris-Roubaix, simulating efforts similar to the ones in this Monument.
Laurenz’s condition is very good at the moment, so it’s important to keep it that way. It’s important to stay fresh both mentally and physically. We analyse the best way to approach the races, aiming to maintain this freshness. More in general, it is our wish to complete a solid classics campaign, because these races are important goals for Intermarché-Wanty.”